Herons head coach Tata Martino gave the latest on Messi’s ligament injury ahead of the Chicago Fire clash and MLS All-Star Game.
William GittinsWillGittUpdate: Jul 19th, 2024 07:31 EDT0
MEGAN BRIGGSAFP
Lionel Messi’s fitness remains a key topic of discussion among Inter Miami fans, despite their continued run of good form in his absence. The Herons are sitting top of the Eastern Conference but are about to begin their 2024 Leagues Cup journey, the tournament that Messi led them to glory in last season.
The Miami captain suffered an ankle ligament injury in last weekend’s Copa América final and hobbled from the field in tears. The outlook for the 37-year-old did not look good. However it appears that the injury is not as serious as first feared and Messi may be able to return next month, potentially missing just two games for Inter Miami.
“Leo’s ankle is…well, you all saw the images,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino explained on Wednesday. “He had a sprain. There will be further testing to determine the severity of the injury.”
“I don’t want to speculate further. He had a sprain. He has to have more tests and wait for the results. Walter [Insaurralde], our kinesiologist, is the same one used by the Argentine national team, he is always very cautious in his diagnoses until all the testing is done.”
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Lionel Messi ankle was visibly swollen after he trudged from the field in Miami last Sunday.MEGAN BRIGGSAFP
When will Lionel Messi return for Inter Miami?
The Argentine will certainly miss three fixtures as he continues his recovery. Those games are this weekend’s visit of Chicago Fire, the midweek MLS All-Star Game and the Leagues Cup opener against Puebla on Saturday, July 27.
However beyond that, there is hope that Messi could return in time to play a part for Miami in August. That would make for a pleasantly swift recovery for Messi, who appeared to roll his ankle in the first half of the Copa América final against Colombia. He required treatment at the time but was allowed to play on until suffering a further setback in the second half, forcing him from the field.
Some may wonder whether the Argentine should have been substituted after the initial injury but Martino insisted that he does not blame the Argentina had coach for keeping Messi on.
